Carousel.



AVAILABLE GOPY No. 835,864. PATBNTED NOV. 13, 1906. H. H. PATTEB. GAROUSEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 1, 1905.

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UNITED STATES.

PATENT onnion.

HERBERT H. PATTEE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CAROUSEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 13, 1906.

Application filed August 1, 1905. Serial No- 272,160.

. To all whom, it may concern:

useful Improvements in Carousels, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of amusement devices known as carousels or merry-go-rounds, and has for its object the introduction of certain adjuncts which -1n fluence the line of movement of the traveling cars in order to produce more exciting experiences and sensations for the occupants of saidcars or seats. These and other objects and the details of construction are more fully described in the following specification and set forth in the appendedclaims.

In-the drawings accompanying this specification and forming a part thereof like reference characters are used to designate the same parts in the various figures.

Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved device. Fig. 2 is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of one of the cars. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device. Fig. 5 is a ground plan of same.

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The drawings illustrate a device made up a of a number-of arms 1, radiating from'a central pivoted block or head 2, carried by a firmly-braced post 3. The arms lare provided neartheir outer ends with rollers 4, which run on a circular track 5 andform a supporting means for the' arms near the weight whichthey are to carry, and the arms carry at their outer ends a ring 6, which serves to=brace them and maintains the proper distance between the arms. The arms 1 are also secured to an internally-toothed ring 7,

which is concentric with the pivotal head 2 and is carried on the under side of the arms, where it is-driven to rotate them by means of a gear-wheel 8 on the upper end of a shaft 9.

Rotary motion is given the shaft 9' from any desired source, and it has not been considered necessary to attempt to illustrate any but it is obvious that any of the well-known expeclients may be adopted. It is also evident that the motive means may be applied direct to the rotating head or to any part of the mciving structure that may be found desirab e.

At the ends of the arms 1 and securing them to the ring 6 are short brace-rods 10 to Fig. 6 is a plan view of another form strengthen the connection between these two sections, and the rods also serve to carry the suspenders or hangers for the cars or floats, as will be later described.

Hanging between the arms are a series of platforms or cars, which may be of various designs, but are preferably constructed as shown in Figs. 3 and 6 and are each adapted to carry several people. in Fig. 3) is constructed of a flexible platform 12, hung, by means of the rods or ropes 13, from the outer ends of the arms 1, one of the sets of ropes 13 being connectedwith the short brace 10, while the other set of rods for each car is attached direct to the arms '1. Each platform 12 carries a second platform 14, which is supported by fiat springs 15" and coil-springs 16 to give the whole "car a certain amount of flexibility, and thissec'ond plat form 14. is provided with railings 17, adapted for use by the occupants as a means for holding themselves to the car when it receives jolting, as will be later described. The platform 14 is also provided with seats or cushions 18 of any desired number, but preferably four, and these seats areclose to' the upper surface of the platform,s'o that the rider sits with his legs at right angles to his body the same ason a toboggan, his feet resting The car 11 (shown upon the platform 12. The car shown in Fig. 6 may be made of rubber, projectile or foot-ball shaped in pattern, inflated with 'air and covered with tough hide or leather 19. Around this body of the car hangs a narrow platform 21, of wood or light metal, which is made fast by hoops or ribs 20, which are fixed to the platform and rest upon the top of the inflated body. This platform is also laced to the inflated portion at the point of contact between the two, 22. From either end of the platform are ropes or cables, which are fastened to the end of the revolving arms- 1 of the carousel. This form of car is provided with saddles 23, which the riders straddle and may be two or more in number. Various other forms or styles of cars may be used as expediency may demand; but these two types possess advantages which render them worthy of preference in illustrating desirable forms. These cars are suspended by the cables or ropes 13 in a manner which permits of the free movement of same, so that they may be swung from side to side or backward and forward while the device is rotating but the railings afford the occupants means of securely holding their seats. When suspend- ,arms 1.

ed from the arms, as shown and described, the cars are a short distance above the ground and in no danger of striking same. On each of the four sides of this car is stretched canvas 01' a coarse netting 11, carried by stay-ropes and which serves as a safety device to prevent the occupants from falling from the device should they be tossed ofi theirseats and out of the car. These canvas sheets have one edge. secured to the platform 14 and their upper corners connected, by means of the stay-ropes 10, with the The ropes prevent the cars from swinging too far.

On the surface of the ground beneath the line of travel of the cars are arranged certain obstructions designed to interrupt the circularpath of motion and to throw the cars either to one side 0rv the other or to lift them,

up a short incline and drop them on the other side in ,order to produce a jolting or jostling movement of-,the car, such as one would get upon a bucking horse. This gives diversion to the ride and constitutes its principal feature. These obstructions or hurdles 24 are rectangular frames having cross-pieces 25 at their lower or hinged ends, and they are provided with rollers 26 as an antifriction means Springs 27 of more or less tensile strength are p aced beneath the hurdles to retain them inltheir inclined position, and when they are used in pairs, with their upper ends adjacent, it is generally found preferable to have the hurdle on the off side of the line of travel slightly less in height than its companion, so that it will receive the car as it leaves the preceding hurdle with little or no friction, as the moving car which has been elevated above it by the first hurdle-slide dro s upon it witli no interruption, as it is in perfect alinement.

As seen inFig. 5, where the dotted circle indicates the line. of movement of the cars, certain hurdles a are placed in this line and are adapted to give thecars a dipping movement from front to rear, and hurdles b are placed without the line in order to tip the car from the outside and give it an inside in clination. Hurdles c, placed in the inside of the line of movement, tip and throw the cars outward, and thus the hurdles all assist to make the rotary. movement of the cars a series of jolts and jostles, tendingto shake the occupant of a seatloose and dislodge him,

while the railings and canvas sheets or netting on either side afford ample security for safety.

It is obvious that other obstructions of modified forms may be devised for accomplishing the object which I seek in the hur- 'I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a carousel, the combination with a series of radial arms on a common pivotal point, of cars or floatshung at the ends of the arms and adapted to move in a circular path, flexible obstructions or hurdles adapted to deflect the cars upward and sidewise from their circular path, and means for rotating the arms about the central point.

2. In a carousel, the combination with a series of swinging flexible cars or floats carried by radial arms and adapted to move in a circular path, of yielding hurdles or obstructions in and near the path of motion of the cars to deflect them from a regular movement.

3. In a carousel, the combination with a series of arms revolving about a common center, of flexible curved platforms hung-between the outer ends of the arms, a platform.

with seats connected to the flexible platform, and yielding hurdles in the line of travel of the platforms. I

4. In a carousel, the combination with a series of radial arms adapted to turn about a common center, of means for rotating same, floats or cars with flexible bases hung from the ends and between the arms, platforms carrying seats and supported on the flexible bases by means of springs, railings around the seats, and resilient hurdles in the line of travel of the flexible bases to deflect their movement.

5. In'a carousel, the combination with a series of arms adapted to turn about a common center, of means for rotating same, flexibly-hung cars between the ends of the arms, canvas or net guards surrounding the cars and hurdles placed in the line of movement of the cars to deflect their regular move.

with the arms, protectors of canvas or net'-.

ting carried by the stays and flexible hurdles to deflect the cars from a circular path.

HERBERT H. PATTEE.

Signed at New York this 25th day of July,

Witnesses:

JOHN H. HAZELTON, JAMEs F. DUHAMEL. 

